The Collector
by ChristyK
Summary: An innocent stop over in a small town leads to trouble
1. Chapter 1

And here's yet another story I wrote awhile ago, hope you like it.This was written before the finale.

**The Collector**

The Impala limped down the back country road, its body bruised and battered just like its owner and passenger.

"You okay?" Dean asked looking over at his brother who sat with his head back and eyes closed.

"Yeah." Sam opened his eyes and straightened up as he winced in pain. "How 'bout you?"

"I'm okay but I think the car needs to be realigned. She really took a beating."

"She's not the only one." Sam looked at the bruises on Dean's face. "You sure you're okay?"

Dean smiled.

"I'm fine… but we blew the hell out of that thing didn't we?"

Sam smiled back at his brother.

"Yeah we did."

"Sure did." Dean laughed. "Did you see the look on that thing's face just before we blasted him?...Beautiful huh?"

"Yeah, too bad the car took a worse beating then we did." Sam said as the car continued to buck down the road.

"We're going to have to pull over at the next town and find a garage; she's going to need a little work."

Normally Dean would work on his own car but the damage was a little more then he felt comfortable tackling plus he was miles from Bobby's junkyard.

"Turn left at the next crossroads." Sam said pointing to a small green sign indicating the town of New Hope five miles ahead. The drove a few miles then before getting to the town Dean pulled over and they hid their weapons in the secret compartment in the trunk then tossed a few tools on top of the compartment to make it look good. They didn't like the idea of someone working on their car but they knew they didn't have a choice the front end was out of alignment and needed to be fixed and they knew there would be no reason for the mechanic to need the key to the trunk.

**New Hope **

They pulled into town and dropped the car off at the first garage they came to, then after taking their bags out of the car, walked into town and booked a few nights at a rundown motel. They then found the local bar and headed inside where they nodded to the few locals who looked up from their drinks then looked away as they whispered to each other. They sat down at a table in the corner and ordered some burgers and beer.

"Why is it that every small town we end up in we seem to be the center of attention?" Dean asked as he looked out over the edge of his glass as he took a sip of beer. The patrons of the bar continued to talk amongst themselves as they kept glancing over at Dean and Sam.

"Guess they don't get a lot of strangers in town." Sam said as he smiled and nodded at the men trying to appear unthreatening.

After about half an hour a man who was sitting by himself staggered over and sat at a table near them.

"You two just passing through?" He asked his eyes blurry from drinking way too much.

"We're getting our car worked on; we just dropped it off at the garage down the road." Sam said giving the man a small smile. Dean, who was more distrusting by nature, studied the man but said nothing.

"How long do you think you'll be here?"

"Day or two, just depends on how long it takes to fix it…. Why?"

The man leaned in close.

"Don't hang around. Once your car is fixed get out of here, don't stay any longer then you have to."

"Why?" Sam asked the man as he glanced over at Dean.

"Stay out of the mist." He whispered.

"What?" Sam looked at him confused.

The man looked around the bar and seemed very nervous when he noticed that most of the other patrons were watching him.

"I can't say anything else….just trust me and leave town as soon as you can." The man got up and went back to the table he had been sitting at earlier. Dean and Sam watched as two men got up and walked over then sat at the man's table where they soon got into a heated discussion with him.

"Wonder what that's all about?" Sam asked Dean as he watched the men argue.

"I don't know and right now I don't really care, I say we head back to the motel before we get involved in it." Dean was tired and the last thing he wanted to do was get involved in a bar fight.

**Motel **

As soon as they entered the motel Dean called the garage to find out how much damage was done to the car. He talked for a few minutes then hung up.

"Well?" Sam asked as he flopped down on the bed.

"He said it should be done sometime tomorrow afternoon."

"Well that's not so bad; we can be out of here by tomorrow night."

"God I hate these small towns, there's nothing to do." Dean sat down on the edge of his bed.

Sam looked over at him.

"Why do you think that man was telling us not to hang around? And what was that stuff about staying out of the mist?"

"Who knows, maybe he just had a little too much to drink."

"Maybe…but he seemed really nervous, like he wanted to tell us more but didn't because he was being watched."

"Sam don't try to read more into it….the guy was drunk and probably didn't even know what he was saying."

"Yeah, guess you're right." Sam smiled up at his brother. "We've been on the road so long I guess I'm beginning to get suspicious of everything."

"Well I'm not even going to think about it. I'm going to take a shower and hit the bed." Dean headed into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

Sam walked over to the door and opened it then stood in the doorway looking up the street toward the bar. If it was nothing, then why did he have an uneasy feeling about the man? Why did he feel there was more to what he said then just some crazy rambling of a drunken man?

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews, hope you like the story. I'll post the next chapter on Tuesday after the holiday. Hope everyone has a good one.

**The Collector **

Chapter two

**The next day**

The brothers once more sat at the bar as they waited for word that the car was finished. They tried to make a little money hustling pool but they had no takers. None of the locals seemed to want to get involved with them, even the man who had been there the previous night had left as soon as they entered the bar.

"Boy I can't wait to get out of this hick town." Dean told Sam as he took a swallow of beer. He finished the bottle and set it next to the six other beer bottles lined up in front of him.

"You better ease up on the beer a little Dean or I'm going to have to do the driving."

It was Dean's car and he usually did the driving only letting Sam drive when he was too beat or drunk to drive. He put his bottle down.

"There's nothing else to do around here." Dean looked around the bar till he spotted a pretty girl sitting a few tables away. She and her friend returned his smile. "Hey Sam…there's two of them."

"Go ahead….I'm not interested."

Sam wasn't a one night stand man like his brother was. Once Sam was involved with a girl he tended to stay with them, but he knew with the life they led that was impossible.

"You just don't know how to have fun do you? Remind me to teach you someday." Dean said as he got up and took his bottle over to the girl's table. He ordered them both a drink then sat down and started up a conversation.

Sam gave a little smile as he watched Dean operate. He could see his brother sizing up the girls and trying to decide which one he was more interested in. A few times Dean would look over at him and motion him over but he didn't see the point in getting involved, they probably would be leaving tonight and would never see the girls again. He had a few one night stands in his life before he met Jessica and to him they were unfulfilling. No, he was a long term relationship type of guy unlike his brother who could love them and leave them at a drop of a hat. When it was obvious Dean wouldn't be returning to their table for awhile Sam got up and began playing pool by himself to pass the time.

**Two hours later**

Sam could hear Dean's distinctive ring tone as his cell phone rang. He watched his brother answer it then start heading toward him.

"Car's ready." Dean said as he grabbed his jacket.

"Whoa buddy." Sam grabbed his brother's arm. "I think you had a little too much to drink. I'll pick it up."

"I'm fine Sam." Dean reached in his pocket and pulled out his spare key. "The walk will sober me up."

Sam reached for it but Dean closed his hand over it.

"Dean this is a small town and a small town always has a local cop just waiting to bust strangers, and we don't need a cop checking into our business. Let me pick it up, I'll be back in a few minutes."

Dean glanced at the girls who smiled at him.

"Okay." He tossed the key to Sam; he wasn't going to argue, not with two girls waiting for him.

**Outside**

Sam began walking up the dark road toward the garage which was about a half mile away. It was a nice cool night and he actually was enjoying the walk, at least it gave him something to do. He had just crossed over a small bridge when a fog like mist seemed to come up from under the bridge and cover him. He stood there for a few seconds thinking it was strange the way the mist had all of a sudden appeared but he knew patches of fog often appeared on back country roads especially around water.

He shook off the odd feeling and continued up the road and walked into the garage. Once there he took out his fake credit card and paid for the car then started driving back to town.

He had only driven a few blocks when out of nowhere a man suddenly appeared in front of him. As he slammed on his brakes his body flew forward and his forehead hit the steering wheel hard. The last thing he thought of before he passed out was how bad the man had been hurt and that Dean was going to kill him for damaging his car.

**The bar – Forty five minutes later**

Dean glanced at his watch and started to get worried. Sam should have been back by now or at least have called if there was a delay. He walked to the door and looked up the street in the direction of the garage. In the distance he could see red flashing lights. His heart started to pound in his chest as he first walked then started running toward them. He felt a cold chill shoot through his body when he saw the Impala parked at a strange angle in the middle of an intersection. He pushed past the small crowd that had gathered around the car.

"What's going on? Where's my brother?" He shouted as he looked frantically around for Sam.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews, hope everyone had a good holiday.

**The Collector**

Chapter three

Dean pushed through the crowd till he finally spotted Sam.

"That's my brother." He told an officer who was trying to hold him back.

Sam was standing on the corner holding a cold compress to his bleeding forehead as a paramedic walked away from him.

Dean quickly looked over the area and couldn't see any sign of an accident. What was this all about he wondered? Had Sam been speeding? He quickly made his way to his brother.

"Sam what happened?" Dean asked putting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I…I'm not sure." Sam leaned against a lamppost when a dizzy feeling came over him.. "I think I killed someone Dean."

"What?" Dean looked around but saw no body.

"Some man ran right out in front of me….I couldn't stop." Sam looked at Dean with tears in his eyes. "Dean I couldn't stop in time…..he jumped right out in front of me…. I…I think I killed him."

Dean walked over to an officer who was writing in his notebook.

"How's the man that was hit?" Dean asked as he looked at an ambulance parked nearby. Was the man already in the ambulance and if he was, why wasn't it on the way to the hospital? He swallowed hard as he wondered if the man had died and there was no reason for the ambulance to rush him to the hospital.

"There is no man."

"What?"

"Your friend jammed on his brakes and hit his head on the steering column, he didn't hit anyone. We think he's just confused because of the blow to his head."

"Why did he jam on his brakes?"

"Maybe a dog or something ran out in front of him." The officer shrugged his shoulders. "There's really no way of knowing."

Dean walked back over to his brother who he could tell was extremely upset thinking he had injured or killed someone.

"Sam you didn't hurt anyone….except yourself."

Sam looked at him confused.

"But…" Sam started to speak but then suddenly fell heavily against the lamppost as his legs started to give out.

"Sammy!" Dean caught him in his arms and lowered him to the ground. "I need help over here!" Dean shouted over to the ambulance crew who quickly ran over.

He turned his brother over to a paramedic then stepped back so they could work on him. Dean winced in sympathy when he saw the deep cut on his brother's forehead.

"Is he going to be okay?" He asked as he watched them examine Sam.

"He took a nasty blow to his head and probably has a slight concussion. We'll take him in and have him checked out."

"I'm going with you."

Dean knew he had had too much to drink and couldn't chance following the ambulance into the hospital without getting in trouble with the cops. So instead he parked his car and jumped in the back of the ambulance. When Sam was released they'd find a way back to the car.

**The hospital**

Sam was examined in the emergency room then moved up to a temporary room to rest before he could be released. Dean sat in a chair next to the bed.

"Dean….I don't care what they say I know I hit someone."

"But you couldn't have Sam, there's no damage to the car."

Sam shook his head confused.

"I saw him Dean….I saw him hit the fender then fly over the hood."

"Sam, they think maybe a dog or something ran in front of you and you slammed on your brakes and hit your head on the steering column. The doctor said you have a slight concussion and your mind is just playing tricks on you."

"But it seemed so real." Sam looked at Dean. "I can even remember what he was wearing."

"I don't know what to tell you Sam. I was there, and there was no sign of an accident except skid marks."

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose as a sharp pain shot through his head.

"You okay?" Dean asked as he stood up.

"Yeah, just a little headache." Sam looked over at Dean. "When can I get out of here?"

"You can leave whenever you want to. They just wanted you to rest a few hours then to take it easy for a week or two."

"Well I'm ready to leave now." Sam said as he climbed out of bed and grabbed his clothes.

"You sure you're okay?" Dean asked when he saw Sam wince.

"Yeah, I'm fine.."

"Well then let's get out of here."

Dean hated hospitals and was more then happy to leave. They headed toward the nurses station to sign Sam out but just as they got there Sam's eyes widened in fear. The nurse was holding a gun and pointing it at Dean.

"She's got a gun!" Sam said as he pushed his brother to the floor.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

**The Collector**

Chapter four

When Sam pushed him down Dean hit the floor and rolled to the side then sprang up ready to defend himself and Sam against the threat. But what he saw instead was the nurse at the desk looking at them like they were nuts. There wasn't a gun in her hand, only a pen. Dean looked over at Sam who was just about to jump over the desk and tackle the nurse.

"Sam! No!" Dean shouted as he quickly grabbed his brother's arm.

"She's got a gun Dean!" Sam struggled to free himself.

"No Sam it's only a pen! It's only a pen!" Dean held onto his brother.

Sam stopped struggling and looked down at her hand which now obviously held a pen and not a gun. He looked over at Dean confused; he could have sworn she had a gun.

"What's the matter with him?" The nurse asked as she reached for a button to contact security.

"Nothing…nothing…." Dean said as he put his hand over the button stopping her from pressing it. "My brother was in an accident and has a slight head injury and is a little confused."

"Then what is he doing out of bed?"

"The doctor said he could go home as long as I keep my eye on him."

"Well if he's that confused I think he ought to stay and have a thorough exam. He's a danger to himself and others."

"I'm sorry…I…I…." Sam apologized to the nurse not quite knowing what to say.

She ignored him and looked at Dean.

"If he continues to hallucinate I'd advise you to bring him back in before he hurts himself…or someone else."

"I will…I will…" He said trying to reassure her.

They signed the release papers and quickly left the hospital

**The motel**

They had to take a taxi back to their car then Dean drove them back to their motel. On the drive home Sam sat silently while Dean kept glancing over at him worried but saying nothing. Once they entered their motel room Sam walked over and sat on the edge of the bed while Dean stood in front of him.

"You feeling okay?"

Sam nodded then looked up at his brother.

"Dean….I saw that man I hit….I saw the nurse holding a gun…I didn't imagine it…."

Dean could tell Sam was scared and confused.

"Sammy you took a nasty crack to your head. You heard the doctor…he said your concussion is causing you to hallucinate."

"Maybe…" Sam said but he still wasn't convinced. He was positive he saw a man run out in front of the car and that he had hit him, but maybe Dean was right, maybe he had just imagined it. "It just seemed so real." He said softly.

"But it wasn't real Sam; it was just in your mind." Dean had been hoping to be able to leave town tonight but he knew his brother was confused and needed to rest. "I think we better stay in town for a few days so you can take it easy, then when you're back to normal…or whatever normal is for you, we'll take off."

"Dean I know you're bored and want to get out of this town….I could just sack out in the back seat. We can still leave, we don't have to stay."

"I think when the doctor said rest he didn't mean bouncing around in the back of a car Sam. It's okay; we'll just chill for a few days, no big deal."

"You know Dean, if hitting that guy wasn't bad enough, I remember being worried that you were going to kill me for damaging your car." Sam gave a small smile. "In fact it was the last thing I remember thinking."

"Well you were right about that." Dean could tell his brother was tired as he smiled back at him. "Look Sam, why don't you get a little rest and I'll go pick up some food." Dean knew with most concussions you were suppose to keep the person awake for at least twelve hours, but the doctor said Sam only had a slight concussion and sleeping was fine, even good for him.

"Sounds good." Sam said as he pulled down the covers and climbed under them.

"Don't you want to get undressed?"

But Sam didn't hear him, he had already fallen asleep.

**An hour later**

Dean picked up some burgers then returned to the motel only to find the manager outside pounding on their door.

"What's going on?" Dean asked as he ran over to him.

"Sounds like there's a fight going on in there but your buddy won't open the door. I can see the room from my office and no one has gone in or left since you did. What the hell's going on in there? Is your friend on drugs? … Because if he is I want you both out of here….I don't allow drugs on the premises."

"My brother isn't on drugs. He was in an accident and is a little confused." Dean said as he pounded on the door. "Sam open up, it's me!" When there was no answer he pounded again. "Sam! Sammy open the door!"

He could hear the door unlock and saw it open slightly. He looked at the manager.

"I'll take care of it." He said as he slipped into the room closing the door behind him.

Sam stood in front of him covered in sweat and bruises giving the appearance that he had been fighting for his life.

"What the hell's going on Sammy?"

"Can't you see them?" Sam said as he tried to catch his breath.

"See what?"

"Them." Sam pointed to the corner of the room. "It's okay, I've killed them….I've killed them all."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

I appreciate the reviews, thanks. This chapter mentions something that happened in one of my other fics Broken. So if you didn't read that one you might be a little confused.

**The Collector**

Chapter five

"Sammy, there's nothing there." Dean looked at his brother wondering what was going on.

"You don't see them?" Sam said glancing over at his brother.

"No Sammy, I don't." Dean said softly not wanting to upset Sam even further.

"Dean they're right there…there are two of them. I…I killed them…I killed them both." Sam looked down at his hands and he could see they were covered in blood; he began wiping them frantically on his shirt trying to wipe them clean. "I can't get the blood off!" He held his hands out to Dean. "Look! Can't you see the blood?"

Dean took Sam's hands in his own but as far as he could tell Sam's hands were clean, not a drop of blood on them.

"Sammy there's no blood on them." He said softly, not wanting to further upset his brother. "The bodies, do you still see them?"

Sam looked over to the corner and watched as the bodies began to fade away.

"They're still there but they're disappearing." He looked back at Dean. "Don't you see them?" He asked his eyes filled with tears as he hoped Dean would say yes.

Dean could tell that Sam was getting agitated and held onto his hands.

"Sam….Sammy…." He squeezed Sam's hands and waited till his brother looked at him. "There's nothing there Sam. You know, I'm thinking maybe I should take you back to the hospital, these hallucinations shouldn't be this vivid."

"No!" Sam pulled his hands away and backed away from Dean. "I don't want to go back there." Sam hated hospitals almost as much as Dean did.

"Okay, okay just calm down." He helped Sam over to one of the beds, and then sat down next to him. "Sam…I got to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me." When Sam looked at him he continued. "You're not taking drugs again are you?"

Dean remembered not too long ago Sam had been taking drugs he had bought on the street to deal with his deep depression. He still remembered driving away from town after Sam had been weaned from them and seeing the dealer standing on the corner, he could have sworn he saw the man's eyes turn red, a sure sign of a demonic possession. He had been worried that a demon had tried to get Sam hooked on drugs so he could lure his brother away from him. He hoped Sam wasn't getting depressed again and had once more resorted to drugs to numb the pain, if he had, Dean knew that could be the reason for his hallucinations.

"No…no Dean I'm not on drugs …this is different…." He shook his head as he looked at Dean with tears in his eyes. "I'm scared Dean…I don't know what's going on… these things I've been seeing are so real."

"The doctor said you might have hallucinations for awhile and be confused. He said you needed rest, probably after you get some you'll feel a lot better." Dean tried to reassure his brother he could tell Sam was scared. "You're not cracking up Sam it's just that your head injury is making you see things."

"God I hope so." Sam said squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sam you have a nasty bump on your head. You're brain is just all scrambled up right now…a little more then usual I guess." He added with a smile. "You'll feel better in a few days." He then handed Sam one of the hamburgers. "Here, maybe you better eat something, keep your strength up."

"I'm not hungry."

"Sam you really need to eat something, you'll feel better if you do."

"Dean right now all I want to do is sleep, I'm beat. Maybe when I wake up I'll have one." Sam climbed under the covers then looked over at Dean who turned the TV on low then sat down next to Sam's bed. "Dean you can go out, you don't have to baby sit me I'll be fine."

"I know Sam, but I'm tired myself. I'll probably watch a little TV then hit the sack."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Dean pretended to be interested in the show he was watching but he knew he wasn't about to leave his brother alone, not after the way he had been acting.

Sam rolled over onto his side and shut his eyes.

**Three hours later**

Dean had switched to every channel on the TV and couldn't find anything to interest him. Finally, satisfied that his brother was asleep, he walked over to his own bed and lay down. He soon fell asleep.

He had only been asleep for a few hours when a noise woke him up. He opened his eyes and looked into the face of Sam standing over his bed holding a gun on him.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for the reviews.

**The Collector**

Chapter six

Dean quickly sat upright in bed.

"What are you doing?" He asked, the gun now just inches from his face.

"Where's my brother?" Sam asked his lip curling back in anger.

"What?"

"My brother, what did you do to him?"

"What the hell are you talking about Sam, it's me!"

"No…no…." Sam said shaking his head. "You're a shape shifter…" Sam reached down and grabbed Dean's shirt and pulled him toward him. "Now where is my brother?"

"Damn it Sammy it's me!" Dean tried to pull away but Sam had a dead man's grip on his shirt.

"You're not my brother! I'd know my own brother you bastard!" Sam slowly pulled back the hammer of the gun. "Now where is he?"

Dean knew he had no choice but to react. He threw his hand up knocking the gun from Sam's grasp and at the same time delivered a hard blow to his chin. Sam flew backwards but managed to stay upright. He looked at his brother confused as he rubbed his chin.

"What was that for?"

"What the hell do you mean what was that for? You were holding a gun at my head and you want to know what that was for?" Dean couldn't believe Sam had already forgotten what had just happened.

"I was what?" Sam looked at Dean in disbelief.

"I woke up to a gun in my face Sam!" Dean said as he stood up. "What the hell's going on with you Sam?"

"I don't know." Sam couldn't remember what had happened. The last thing he remembered clearly was going to bed, after that, nothing. Sam picked up the gun from the floor and handed it to Dean. "I'm sorry…." He said as he blinked back tears. He couldn't believe he had held a gun on his own brother. "What the hell's happening to me Dean?" He asked as he sat on the edge of the bed his eyes downcast.

"I don't know Sam but this seems more then just the results of a concussion. Did anything unusual happen when you went to get the car?"

"No…not that I can remember. I just got the car and was bringing it back when….well when I saw that man run out in front of me."

"Nothing happened at all? Think Sam…even if it seems insignificant just replay it in your mind."

Sam thought for a few seconds. "I left the bar and headed on down the road… I remember thinking how nice the night was ….Then I remember I crossed a bridge that was surrounded by fog, which seemed a little odd because it was the only patch of fog around, but there was water under the bridge and I knew it wasn't unusual for fog to settle over water…. I went up, got the car, and headed back to the bar….that's when I saw that man run out in front of me."

"Nothing happened after you picked up the car till you saw the man?"

"Not that I can remember …no."

Dean thought for a few seconds then remembered something.

"The man back at the bar…." He said looking over at Sam. "Remember he said something about staying out of the mist. Mist, fog…it's pretty similar. I think we better go back to the bar and see if we can find him and see what he knows."

**The bar**

They entered the bar and ignored the looks and whispers they got as they sat down. Dean ordered two beers and sat sipping his as he looked around the room. Sam sat at the table staring at his glass almost too scared to take his eyes off of it incase he would start hallucinating again. Dean understood his brother's fear as he patted him on the arm.

"Sam you stay here. I'm just going to go around and ask a few questions, I'll be right back, don't move.

Sam only nodded.

Dean walked from table to table asking if anyone knew who the man who had spoken to them earlier was. All the patrons denied knowing the man so finally he began questioning the bar tender once he was free from waiting on people. He could tell the man knew more then he was willing to say and had just reached into his pocket to pull out some money to try to bribe him when he heard a commotion. He spun around to see Sam standing at the table holding a broken beer bottle as he backed up toward the door. Dean quickly ran over to him.

"Sammy its okay, take it easy." He said trying to calm his agitated brother. He looked at the men who had circled around Sam. "What's going on?" He asked them.

"Your friend is nuts! We were just playing pool when all of a sudden he broke the bottle and started flipping out." One of the men said as he picked up a pool stick and held it menacingly.

"Just back off I'll take care of this." Dean warned the man when he got a little too close to Sam.

"What the hell's he on?" The man asked as he and his buddies moved in closer.

"Stay back!" Sam yelled as he swung the bottle out in front of him.

"He's not on anything. He was in an accident and hit his head; he's just a little mixed up."

"A little? Kid seems like more then just a little mixed up to me."

"Get back!" Sam shouted again, Dean could see he was terrified. It was as if he had reverted back to a scared ten year old kid.

"Sammy its okay…it's going to be okay…." Dean said reassuringly.

One of the men suddenly reached out to grab Sam's jacket causing him to completely flip out. He swung the bottle at the man slicing his shirt.

"You son of a bitch!" The man shouted as he and his friends moved in on Sam. Dean forced himself between them trying to protect his brother but there were too many of them and soon the fight was on.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**The Collector**

Chapter seven

The fight quickly moved outside into the parking lot as most of the patrons of the bar emptied into the streets, the majority of the men going after Sam for attacking one of their own. Dean tried his best to protect his brother as he pulled the men one by one off of Sam and finished them off with a few sure hits. Sam, even in his confused state, fought hard his instincts automatically kicking in when he saw the men turn on his brother. They fought side by side holding their own against their opponents, but there were just too many of them. Within half an hour they both lay bruised and bleeding in the parking lot. The men then filed back into the bar some of them stopping by the injured brothers to deliver a last kick to their already sore ribs.

"We don't like strangers in this town, especially ones that start trouble. Get out!" One of the men said right before he delivered a hard kick to Dean's side.

Dean let out a soft cry of pain and wrapped his arm around his ribs, but the pain was quickly forgotten, his first concern was his brother.

"Sam? Sam you okay?" He rolled onto his side looking for Sam. "Damn it Sammy answer me!"

"Dean…." Sam's voice came softly from the other side of Dean.

Dean quickly rolled over and saw his brother lying a few yards away.

"You okay Sam?"

"I've been better." Sam said wincing as he painfully stood up. He then reached down and helped his brother up. "You okay?"

"What the hell happened in there Sam? Why did you attack that guy?" Dean ignored Sam's question and fired back with two of his own.

"Attack who? What are you talking about?"

"You broke a bottle in there and then attacked someone with it." Dean could see the blank look on Sam's face. "You don't remember?"

Sam shook his head; he had no idea what Dean was talking about.

"No…the last thing I remember is going into the bar. What happened?"

"I was trying to see if anyone could tell us anything about that guy that had talked to us earlier when all of a sudden you flipped out and started attacking people."

Sam just shook his head in disbelief; he couldn't remember any of it.

"Dean what's happening to me?"

"I don't know Sam, but I think you need to go back to the hospital. Something's wrong, they said you only had a mild concussion, this shouldn't be happening. These hallucinations should start to ease up not still be this strong."

"I don't want to go back to the hospital Dean." He looked at his brother with tears in his eyes. "Please Dean …I don't want to go back."

"We don't have a choice Sam. You're going to end up hurting yourself or someone else if you keep having these hallucinations."

Dean knew Sam hated hospitals almost as much as he did. When they were kids they had been in a car accident and taken to the hospital along with their dad who had been driving. The hospital's emergency room had been full and Sam had to be taken to a hospital in another city. He had been only five and had been terrified to find himself hurt and alone in the hospital. The family wasn't reunited until three days later and Dean still remembered how Sam wouldn't let him out of his sight for weeks afterward; terrified that he would be left alone again. Dean knew those memories still haunted his brother.

"Sam I'll be right there with you, I'm not going anywhere….You won't be alone."

"Dean…I…."

"Sam we don't have a choice in this…You could be bleeding inside your head or something, which might be why you're having these vivid images."

As much as Sam hated hospitals he knew Dean was right. If these hallucinations continued he could end up hurting someone, maybe even his brother.

**The hospital**

Sam was admitted to the hospital and held over night for observation. The doctor scheduled tests to be run on Sam the following day. He sat on the edge of his bed still dressed while Dean sat on a chair next to him.

"Sam it will be alright…you'll probably just have to stay here a day or two till you're thinking clear again." Dean tried to reassure his brother, he could tell he was nervous.

"I guess…." Sam got off the bed and walked to the door and looked down the hall.

"What are you looking for?"

"I'm thirsty; I thought maybe they had a cart nearby with some drinks on it."

Dean stood up and walked over to his brother.

"The doctor wants you confined to your room until they run some tests. I can get you a soda, there's a snack bar downstairs." Dean walked to the door then turned back to Sam. "I'll be right back. Why don't you get changed into that hospital gown and climb into bed."

"Hurry back." Sam said his fear of hospitals and being left alone starting to surface.

"I'll just be a few minutes." Dean said as he quickened his pace. He stopped at the nurse's station and asked the nurse on duty to keep an eye on his brother. She assured him she would because the doctor already had informed her that he didn't want Sam left alone unless he was sedated.

**Ten minutes later**

Dean got off the elevator and started to head to Sam's room but stopped when he saw the commotion in the hallway. Nurses were running in and out of his brother's room in a panic. Dean tossed the soda to the floor and ran down the hall.

"What's wrong?" He said as he passed one of the nurses. "Is it my brother?" Dean's heart was pounding in his chest. Had Sam had another hallucination and hurt himself or someone else he wondered? He didn't wait for her answer as he ran into his brother's room. He could feel the cool air from the broken window as soon as he stepped into the room. Glass and blood covered the floor and Sam was no where in sight.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the reviews

**The Collector**

Chapter eight

Dean pushed his way past the nurses and over to the window. The sharp edges of the broken windows were covered in blood, his brother's blood. They were on the third floor and he dreaded looking down as the sidewalk below but he knew he had to. He breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't find his brother's broken body lying below.

"Sammy!" He shouted out into the night as he leaned out the window. "Sammy!" He looked up and down the street but there was no sign of his brother.

He grabbed the arm of the desk duty nurse as she ran by.

"I thought I told you to keep an eye on him." He said angrily.

"I did …I mean I was…He seemed fine, he was standing there talking to me when all of a sudden this look of …of fear came into his eyes….It was as if he was seeing something horrible…. He backed up then turned around and broke the window with his arm then climbed through it.…. I couldn't stop him…." The nurse began crying.

Dean knew he should try and comfort her, it wasn't her fault, but he didn't have time, his brother was out there somewhere hurt and alone. He ran into the hallway then to the fire exit. He flew down the steps to the sidewalk outside Sam's room. Broken pieces of glass littered the area, but what concerned him was the amount of blood. If Sam didn't stop the bleeding he could easily bleed to death before he found him.

"Sammy!" He knew he couldn't have gone that far, he had only been gone a few minutes. "Sam!"

Dean looked up at the window that Sam had jumped from and could see a group of people looking down at him. He knew he had to get out of there and look for his brother before they called the police and questioned him. With the police involved it would only take a short time before they found out he was wanted by the law, and if they captured him who knew what would happen to Sam. He ran to the parking lot and jumped in his car then began cruising the streets looking for Sam.

**An alley way**

Sam winced in pain as he looked at his bleeding arm. He had cuts and bruises all over his body but it was his arm that had gotten the worse of it. He couldn't even remember what he was running from but he knew something was after him and he had to hide. He crawled behind an old trash container and once he was sure no one was following him checked out his arm. He could see that shards of glass were deeply imbedded in his arm right above his elbow. He picked out the larger pieces and tossed them into the trash. He then took off his belt and tightened it around his upper arm; it would have to serve as a temporary tourniquet. He sat back and shut his eyes, he wasn't sure how long he had been running but he was dead tired and knew that the blood loss didn't help. His rest was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of his phone. At first he wasn't going to answer it, but then he picked it up but said nothing.

"Sam?" The worried voice of his brother came over the phone. "Sam if you're there talk to me."

"What do you want?" Sam said softly.

"What do you mean what do I want? You just took a swan dive out a third story window incase you don't remember Sam!… Where the hell are you?"

"I…I don't know…."

"Well look for a street sign…I'll find you."

"No…."

"Sam I don't know what's going on with you but I know you're bleeding and you need help."

"I'm okay, just leave me alone."

"Leave you alone! Damn it Sammy you could bleed to death!"

"I'll be okay."

"Sammy you're hurt and you're confused…just find a street sign and…."

Tears filled Sam's eyes.

"Please…just leave me alone…."

Dean winced at the sound of Sam's voice, he sounded so lost and alone.

"I don't know what's going on with you or why you jumped out the window but you got to let me help you."

"You don't want to help me…."

"What are you talking about? Of course I want to help you."

"Why? Why should I believe you?"

"Sam you're confused, you're hurt….you're not thinking straight…"

"Why are you doing this?" Sam squeezed his eyes shut as a sharp pain shot through his head.

"Doing what?"

"Pretending to be my brother."

"What?" Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing. "It's me Sam, it's Dean. Who the hell do you think it is?" Dean could hear Sam softly crying in the background. "Sam….Sammy answer me."

"You're not Dean…."

"Damn it Sam don't you recognize my voice?"

"It's a trick, you're not my brother."

"Well then who the hell do you think I am?"

"I don't know, but you're not Dean."

"Why not?"

"Because my brother's dead." Sam managed to get out as he choked back a sob.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**The Collector**

Chapter nine

"What! What the hell are you talking about Sam, it's me!"

"My brother died a few days ago…."

"Damn it Sammy it's me! I'm not dead! … Sam you were in an accident, you hit your head, and you're just confused. I'm alive and I'll prove it if you just tell me where you are."

"I saw my brother die. … He died trying to save me." He said as he choked on the words. "Please…just go away and leave me alone…."

Dean could hear the soft sound of his brother crying.

"Please Sam don't hang up. You need help…" All Dean could think of was what if Sam hung up and he never saw him again. "Sam let me help you. I saw the blood, you could bleed to death."

"Why are you doing this to me? My brother is dead, why are you pretending to be him?...Why don't you just leave me the hell alone?"

"Damn it Sammy listen to me…." Dean then began telling Sam their life history, from when they were kids to the present. "How would I know all that if I wasn't your brother?"

Sam listened; he couldn't believe his ears…. This person knew everything about him. Could it be true, could this really be his brother?

"Sam are you there?" Dean asked when there was only silence over the phone. "Sam?"

"Dean?" Sam wiped at tears that threatened to run down his face, maybe his brother was alive after all.

"Yeah Sam." Dean breathed a sigh of relief; he had finally gotten through to him.

"Oh God Dean I'm scared…. I can't think straight anymore….everything's all mixed up…"

"It's okay Sam, just tell me where you are and I'll come for you. If you don't know then just look for a street sign or any sign that can tell me where you're at."

"Just a second."

Sam crawled out from behind the trash container and started walking down the alley looking for a street sign; he was tired and all he wanted was for Dean to pick him up and to be out of this nightmare. But when he was halfway down the alley a man appeared out of no where and started to walk toward him.

"Where are you going?" The man asked as he approached Sam.

"What?" Sam asked wondering why the man would want to know.

"I asked you where you thought you were going?"

"My brother's picking me up."

"I don't think so."

Dean listened over the phone. What the hell was going on?

"Sam…. Sam what's happening?"

"I don't know…some guy is blocking my way." Sam tried to step around the man. "Excuse me…"

"You're not going anywhere."

Dean gripped the phone.

"Sam get the hell out of there!" At first Dean had thought Sam was having another hallucination but he had heard the man's voice and knew it was real. He knew Sam could take care of himself under normal circumstances but this wasn't normal circumstances, his brother was hurt and confused.

Sam started to walk by the man and head out of the alley but was thrown by an unseen force back up against the wall. He grunted in pain as he hit the wall hard, his cell phone falling out of his hand.

Dean had heard the commotion and the small gasp of pain.

"Sam! Sam what's going on?"

"Dean…." Sam swallowed hard as the man walked closer. It was then he saw the street sign at the entrance to the alley. "Parkway….Parkway Dean…" He shouted the name hoping Dean would be able to track him down.

"Sam!" Dean's heart started pounding in his chest. Who was the man and what did he want with his brother? He had heard Sam shout the street name and he jumped in his car and sped off to look for it. The town was small and he hoped he wouldn't have trouble finding it, but would he find it in time? He kept his phone up to his ear as he drove listening to Sam's conversation.

"What do you want with me?" Sam asked the man as he walked up to him.

The man reached over and put his hand up to Sam's face as if to examine it, he seemed pleased.

"You'll make a fine addition."

"Addition to what?"

"My collection."

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for the reviews, glad you still like the story.

**The Collector**

Chapter ten

Dean had heard the conversation over the phone. What the hell did the man mean adding Sam to his collection?

"You leave him alone you son of a bitch!" Dean shouted into the phone which was now silent. He sped down the street till he finally spotted a man walking his dog; he pulled up next to him.

"Where's Parkway?" He asked.

"About three blocks down on your right." The man answered.

"Thanks."

Dean floored the accelerator and sped toward the location. He now knew where Parkway was but Parkway ran for blocks. He drove up and down the street and alleys desperately searching for some sign of his brother. Finally he noticed what appeared to be blood drops on a sidewalk leading into one of the alleys and pulled into it.

"Sam! Sam you in here?" His face was etched with worry when he saw the amount of blood in the alley way. He quickly pulled out his gun. "Sam?" He looked behind the trash container where the trail of blood led, but Sam was no where in sight. He saw an object lying against a wall and walked over to it, it was his brother's cell phone. He picked it up, shut it, then held it tightly in his hand as if it would somehow connect him to Sam. "Sammy where are you?" He said as tears of worry filled his eyes.

**The house**

Sam silently screamed inside his mind but no sound came out of his mouth. He watched in horror as his body, as if detached from his mind, followed the man with no resistance. It was as if he was a puppet and the man controlled his body but not his mind. The man walked him down into a large basement then into another room hidden behind a wall. Sam's eyes widened in horror and fear when he saw twelve bodies sitting around a table all in various stages of decay. A few looked as if they had just died recently but the majority looked like they had been there for quite awhile. One of the bodies was a man of about forty who was still alive, but barely. His eyes looked at Sam pleading for help but there was nothing he could do for him.

"Do you like your new family?" The man asked as he walked Sam over then pushed him down into a seat at the table beside the decaying corpses. He tried to move but it was impossible unless the man allowed him to. The only thing he could move on his own accord were his eyes which looked at the horrifying scene set in front of him. A single tear ran down his face as he wondered if this was where he was going to die. And Dean…..Dean would now be all alone and would never know what happened to him. He watched terrified as the man took out a comb and combed his hair.

"Now you look presentable." Satisfied with his work the man turned and walked out of the room leaving him alone in the dark.

**The bar**

Dean drove around town frantically looking for his brother; but he knew it was hopeless Sam could be anywhere. He finally settled for his only other option and that was to head back to the bar and see if he could find the man that had come up to them earlier. It was a long shot, but the only shot he had.

He walked into the bar and ignored the dirty looks he got; all he cared about was finding his brother. Some of the men that he had fought with earlier were there but they seemed to sense his mood and stayed away. He began walking from table to table searching for the man. Finally over in a dark corner he found him. As he walked over the man saw him and began to get up. Dean grabbed his arm and forced him to sit back down.

"I need you to tell me what you know about this town."

"I don't know anything." The man said as he picked up his beer and took a swig of it.

"That's not what you told us earlier. You told us to leave town as soon as we could….to not stick around. You also mentioned a fog or a mist…what were you trying to tell us?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." The man began to raise his glass to take another drink but Dean grabbed his arm and twisted it till the man yelped in pain and put the glass down.

"I'm only going to ask you nicely one more time…what were you trying to warn us about?"

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**The Collector**

Chapter eleven

Dean watched as the man looked around the room and could tell he was nervous because the other patrons were watching him.

"Don't worry about them; if you don't tell me what I want to hear it's me you should be worried about not them." Dean meant what he said. If this man had any clue to where Sam was he'd beat it out of him if he had to and he would take on the whole bar if it meant finding his brother.

The man looked back at Dean and could tell he was telling the truth, the men in the bar didn't scare him near as much as the look in Dean's eyes.

"Now what is going on in this town?"

"Where is your friend?" The man asked.

"He's missing."

The man shook his head sadly and looked down.

"It's got him; you'll never see him again."

"That's where you're wrong; I'm getting my brother back."

"Once someone is taken, they don't come back."

"Taken? By who?"

The man reached for his beer and this time Dean allowed him to take a sip. The man took a swallow then began his story.

"About forty years ago people from this town suddenly began disappearing and no one knew what was happening to them. Then one day one of the missing men stumbled into the town weak and half dead. He told the sheriff a story about being snatched off the highway while fixing a flat tire and taken to a house filled with bodies. Apparently a man had been kidnapping people off of the street and embalming them alive then keeping their bodies. The man said he was drugged and kept in a cell then watched as one by one others in the cell were taken out then slowly killed as the embalming fluid filled their bodies. He had somehow managed to escape and made it back to town." The man took another swallow of beer and looked at Dean who nodded for him to continue. "The sheriff and a few men from town went up there and found the house….they say there were bodies all over the place. This man had collected more then twenty bodies and considered them his family. He had some sitting in front of a broken TV while others he sat at the dining room table. He even kept a body in bed with him. They say it was horrible; half the bodies had started to decay while others were still pretty well preserved. But before they could have a trial the man was pulled out of the local jail by family members of the people he had killed and was killed himself."

"When we first met you, you said something about a mist. What's that about?"

The man once more glanced around the room at the other patrons before continuing.

"There's this mist…" He said leaning in close to Dean. "It appears every once in awhile and people began disappearing again….no one from town, just strangers passing through. The people in this town don't talk about it, they think the mist is the ghost of the man the town had killed and if they talk about it the mist will come after the people of the town again."

"So this man used to keep his victims alive for awhile before killing them?" Dean asked hoping it was true, if it was then Sam could still be alive.

"Yeah, or at least that's what the man who escaped had said."

"Do you know where they buried the killer?"

Dean knew if he could find the grave he could salt and burn the bones destroying the ghost and hopefully save his brother.

"No one knows, or cares. I heard the body was given to his son but …I'm not sure."

"This man had a son?"

"Yeah, nice man, a school teacher…lives out by the lake."

"What's his name?"

"Greg Richards, he lives in a house with blue shutters right off the main road leading into town, you can't miss it."

"And the house where Richards kept the bodies is it still there?"

"I'm not sure….I heard it was but I never looked for it. The only thing I heard was that it was an old farmhouse.which is now falling apart and covered by overgrown weeds….some say it's still there but… I can't say for sure."

"Where?"

"At the lake, about a mile from his son's house."

Dean took out a twenty and put it down in front of the man then walked out of the bar. He jumped in his car and sped toward the lake.

**The lake**

Dean spotted the son's house as soon as he got near the lake. He parked then ran up to the door and knocked. A skinny man with glasses opened the door.

"Yes."

"Are you Greg Richards?"

"Yes I am, why?"

"I need to know where your father is buried."

"My father? Why?"

"I know who your father was. And I know what happened in this town. I also know about the mist that seems to haunt this town. I need to find your father's grave so I can put him to rest." Dean came right out and said it even though he knew he sounded like a lunatic; he didn't have time to beat around the bush he had to find Sam.

The man looked at him like he was crazy and started to shut the door but Dean stuck his foot inside the door preventing it from closing.

"My brother's missing and I think your father has him, I'm not going anywhere till you tell me where your dad is buried."

"My father is dead…how could he possibly be involved in your brother's disappearance?"

"Look, I know I'm going to sound insane but your father's spirit is not at rest and is haunting this town and I think he has my brother. Now all I need you to tell me is where your father's grave is and the location of the house where he committed his crimes."

"My father was cremated….there is no body."

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**The Collector **

Chapter twelve

"Cremated? Damn it!" Dean knew if the body was already cremated there would be no chance to salt and burn the bones…unless... "Were his ashes buried?"

"No…I just dumped them out by the lake." Richards leaned down and looked at Dean. "Now I don't know who you are or what you're up to but I want you off of my property."

"Just one more question….Where's your father's house?" Richards hesitated and Dean could tell he wasn't going to tell him. "You can either tell me and I'll go away, or we can stand here all day, it's up to you."

Richards still didn't talk till he saw the look in Dean's eyes and knew he wasn't kidding.

"About a mile down the road you'll see an old road overgrown with weeds, turn there and you'll run right into it."

"It better be there or I'll be back." Dean went back to his car, jumped in, and sped down the road.

**The old farmhouse**

Dean pulled up in front of the old house and could almost sense the horror that had gone on there years before. He grabbed his salt gun and holy water then walked up to the porch, once there, he kicked in the door.

"Sam! Sammy!" He shouted as he went from room to room hoping to find his brother. He tried to ignore the horrible thoughts that kept going through his head. If Sam was here, was he even still alive? Or was he going to find his brother's body already preserved by the serial killer's spirit. No he wasn't going to think like that, Sam was alive and he was going to find him. "Sam!"

He came to a basement door and slowly pushed it open. He winced and took a small step backward as the smell of death came drifting up to him. Even after all these years the smell had remained…. unless Dean thought….unless new bodies were now down there decaying. He crept down the steps his heart pounding in his chest wondering what he might find, and praying it wouldn't be his brother's body.

The basement was divided into different rooms and he cautiously went from room to room. The table and TV set that the man back at the bar had mentioned were still in the basement, now broken into pieces and covered with dirt and debris. Dean even found the cell the man had told him the victims were kept in before being killed, but he found no signs of Sam or any signs that anyone else had been there.

"Sammy!" He cried out more in desperation then expecting an answer. "Damn it Sammy where are you?" He took a couple of deep breaths trying to stay calm; he knew flipping out wasn't going to help him find his brother.

It was then he felt the temperature drop drastically. He quickly held his shotgun up as he turned in a circle. He knew something else had just entered the room.

"Where are you, you bastard?" He called out into the emptiness.

It was then he saw the mist filtering in from outside through the cracks in the walls. He spun around but before he could aim the mist was on him. Almost immediately he began to hallucinate. He looked at the table which now was no longer broken pieces of lumber but had been rebuilt and he could now see people sitting at it. He walked over and looked at their faces all of which started to decay before his eyes. It was then he saw Sam sitting at the far end of the table. He ran over to him.

"Oh God Sammy it's good to see you." He said as he reached out to touch him, but just as his hand touched his brother's shoulder Sam began gasping for air. "Sam!" Dean pulled his brother out of the chair and helped him to the floor. "Sammy what's the matter?"

Both of Sam's hands clawed at his throat as he tried desperately to breathe. Dean pulled Sam's hands away and ripped open his shirt trying to see what was strangling his brother but nothing was there.

"Sammy!" He shouted as he watched his brother slowly stop struggling and as his face turned blue from lack of oxygen. He tilted Sam's head back and put his mouth over his and began to breathe for him. "Damn it Sammy breathe! Breathe!"

Dean put his ear on Sam's chest and couldn't detect a heartbeat.

"Damn it Sammy don't you pull this shit with me!"

He knelt next to Sam and pressed down on his chest then gave him a breath of air, he continued CPR for a few minutes before sitting back with tears in his eyes as he looked at his brother's lifeless body.

"Sammy please….don't do this to me….." He cried out heartbroken, he was too late, his brother was dead…. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind he watched in horror as maggots began coming out of his brother's mouth and as his face turned into a mass of decaying flesh.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**The Collector**

Chapter thirteen

"Sammy!" Dean pushed himself backward as he watched Sam's body begin to decay and fall apart in front of him. What the hell was happening? He wanted to reach out to his brother to help him but it was obvious Sam was dead. Dead? He couldn't be dead, not like this…not this rotting body in front of him. Sam had only just vanished a few hours ago there was no way his body could already be decaying. Dean shook his head slightly and pinched the bridge of his nose_. Damn it think!_ Then it came to him, it was all just a hallucination, none of it was real. The mist was making him hallucinate just like it had done to Sam. Sam and these other bodies weren't real. He squeezed his eyes shut and looked back at the bodies; all of them including Sam's were gone. Dean walked around the room looking for any sign of the mist. He knew if he blasted it with the salt gun that should take care of it, at least temporarily, but since the man's body had been cremated there was nothing to burn… except the house. Maybe the spirit was attached to the house and once it was gone so would the spirit. But he couldn't burn the house until he was sure Sam, or anyone else, wasn't in it. He researched the house from top to bottom and when he was sure no one was in it he went to his car and took a large container of gasoline out of it then went back to the house and sprinkled it around inside covering all the floors. He went back to the basement and was just about to light the match when he heard a voice…Sam's voice.

"Dean don't…please…don't…."

"Sammy?"

"Dean please…if you strike that match I'm dead…."

"Sammy where are you?" Dean spun around in a circle looking in every direction. "Sammy?"

"Please Dean…I don't want to burn…I don't want to die…not like this…."

Tears came to Dean's eyes as he put the matches back in his pocket. Was he hallucinating again or was it really Sammy's voice? He knew it was probably not real… but what if it was? He couldn't light the match knowing that maybe his brother was really somewhere in the house. Just then a faint glow came from outside the basement window; Dean walked over to it and looked out. He watched as the mist began to form and then head down the street in the direction of the son's house. Dean didn't hesitate; he quickly ran outside and jumped in his car to follow it, the house he would burn later.

**Richard's house**

Dean watched as the mist slowly began to disappear into the basement window of the son's house. He ran up to the porch, his salt gun in his hand as he pounded on the door. He could see Richards peeking out through the curtain.

"Open the door!"

"Go away!"

"I'm not going to hurt you; I just need you to open the door!" Dean knew he must be scaring the man to death standing on his porch with a shotgun in his hand.

"What do you want?"

"I just need to check something out in your house…I won't hurt you."

"Go away or I'll call the cops!"

"I'll put the gun down, you can leave….Please …I need to get in your house." Dean put the shotgun down on the porch then put his hands up and backed up. "I'm giving you a chance to leave …if you don't…. I'll bust the door down and come in anyway."

"Why do you want to come in my house? Who the hell are you anyway?"

"I don't have time to explain….I'm not going to hurt you…But if you don't let me in I'm kicking the door in….it's your choice."

The door slowly opened and Richards stepped out onto the porch.

"Look, I don't know who you are, or what you want, or if you're some kind of lunatic or what but…." He said as he walked off the porch and stood next to his car.

As soon as Richards was out of the house Dean picked up his shotgun and ran into it. He held the gun up in front of him as he headed for the basement door. He cautiously opened it and turned on the light as he headed down the steps. Weird images filled his head and he tried his best to ignore them knowing they were more then likely left over hallucinations from his encounter with the mist. He was pretty certain Sam wasn't at the old farmhouse, maybe the mist had brought his brother's here to his son's house instead.

"Sam! Sam you down here!" He shouted as he walked around the basement praying he'd find his brother down there alive and unhurt. "Sammy!"

What if Sam wasn't down there? The thought terrified him. If Sam wasn't at the old farmhouse, or here, then where was he? What if he never found his brother?

It was then he saw a faint glow coming from a small crack under what seemed like a solid wall. He cautiously approached it and began pushing on the wall and soon could see more and more light coming from behind the wall, he knew there was definitely another room hidden behind it. Finally after about ten minutes of pushing on the wall it opened up. The smell of decaying bodies hit him immediately and he started to gag as he swallowed the bile that rose in his throat as he looked at the horrifying scene before him. Bodies of men and woman in different stages of decay sat around a table in front of him, and among them was his brother.

"Sammy!" He cried out as he ran to him. Sam's eyes were shut and he didn't move and Dean felt his stomach twist in a knot at the thought that he was too late and that his brother was already dead and had already been preserved. He put the gun down as he put two fingers against the side of Sam's neck and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a heartbeat, his brother was alive. He knelt down next to Sam and put his hand on his brother's shoulder and shook him gently as he looked into his face. "Sammy?"

Sam's eyes slowly opened and looked into his.

"Thank God…" At least his brother was conscious. "Sam we got to get out of here." Dean grabbed Sam's arm and tried to help him out of the chair but Sam didn't move. "Come on Sammy we got to go…." When Sam still didn't respond Dean put his hands on Sam's shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Sammy? Sam? …What did that bastard do to you?" Dean put Sam's arm over his shoulder and tried to pull him out of the chair, all he wanted was to get his brother far from this Hell. It was then he saw the fear in Sam's eyes and watched as a tear ran down his face. "What is it Sammy? What's the matter?"

He suddenly felt a cold chill go up his spine, when he noticed Sam wasn't looking at him but at something behind him. He grabbed for the gun and started to spin around but a blow to his head knocked him to the ground. He fought to stay conscious as the entire room began to spin before his eyes, but it was impossible. His last conscious thought was that he had failed his brother, and now they both would die.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks for the reviews.

**The Collector**

Chapter fourteen

**An hour later**

Dean moaned softly as he slowly began to wake up. He had a pounding headache and kept his eyes shut as he tried to remember what had happened. As his memory came back his eyes flew open. Sammy! He could see Sam sitting at the table looking at him.

"Sam…" He tried to move, he had to get to his brother. It was then he realized he had been tied to the chair. He shook his head slightly trying to clear his mind as he began working on the ropes. He always kept a knife on a spring loaded metal cuff up his sleeve but for some reason it wasn't working properly, only the tip emerged which gave him little to work with. Dean swore softly to himself realizing it must have jammed when he fell to the floor. He heard a noise to his right and looked toward the sound. Greg Richards stood there smiling at him.

"I guess you found your lost brother." He said mockingly. "I think he'll make a great addition to my collection, don't you agree?"

"So it was you and not your father." Dean said as he realized the voice he had heard over Sam's phone had been Richards. "But I saw the mist myself…I know it's somehow involved in this."

Richards smiled.

"Daddy helps me. He taught me all I know." Richards looked over to a corner of the room. "Didn't you Daddy?"

Dean looked over and could see the mist hovering there in the corner as if watching them. He looked back at Richards.

"So you're both involved in this." Dean said as he looked around the table at the bodies.

"Some of them are from Daddy's last kill. The cops never found them, I hid them here while they searched Daddy's house. But the rest of them…"Richards smiled at Dean as if he was proud of what he had done. "those are mine…I did a good job don't you think? Almost as good as Daddy." He walked over and put his hand on one of the preserved bodies. "Growing up I always wanted to be an undertaker, but then I couldn't keep the bodies, I'd have to give them up." He walked over to Sam. "But now they're all mine and mine alone. I think your brother will make a nice addition, don't you think? Good looking boy isn't he?" He then walked over to a girl's body that was still fairly well preserved. He picked her up and put her in a seat next to Sam. "I think they'll make a nice couple, don't you?" Richards then walked over to two badly decomposed bodies and put his hands on their shoulders. "These were my first, don't they look nice together? Don't they seem happy?" He asked not seeming to realize the condition the bodies were in. "And now your brother will join them permanently. We'll all be one happy family."

Richards nodded toward the mist which then drifted over and covered Sam for a few seconds.

"Get away from him you bastard!" Dean shouted as he continued struggling with his ropes.

The mist then drifted back to the corner as Richards walked over to Sam.

"Get up and follow me." He ordered.

Dean watched in shock as Sam obeyed him. He realized that the mist must have some kind of hypnotic affect on people allowing the son to then move in and take control of them.

"Sammy! Sammy wake up!" Dean yelled at his brother then looked at Richards. "What the hell did you do to him?"

Richards didn't answer him but instead took hold of Sam's elbow and led him over to a table.

"Now be a nice boy and lie down and roll up your sleeve."

Sam did as he was told. He lay on the table screaming at his body to get off of it but he couldn't move, it was as if his body belonged to someone else and only his mind was his.

Dean watched in horror as Richards began setting up an IV bag loaded with what Dean assumed was embalming fluid.

Richards ran his hand through Sam's hair as he looked down at him almost as if to comfort him.

"Just relax son, it won't hurt for long…And just think, soon you'll be eternally young and never grow old."

Dean rocked back and forth in the chair trying to free himself and could feel the ropes slowly loosening but would he get free in time?

"Sam! Sam listen to me! You're hallucinating…they're making you think you can't move but you can! Try Sam! Try to move! You can do it! Don't listen to him Sam…fight him!" Dean shouted to his brother trying to get through to him but Sam only lay on the table still unable to respond to him.

Dean knew that the father's spirit was causing the hallucinations and that was what was used to confuse and capture the victims. Once captured the son would then proceed to kill them. Most of the victims probably didn't even try to escape because they were convinced they couldn't move, all they could do was wait till Richards decided it was their time to be added to his collection permanently.

Sam could hear his brother and tried to move but the control they held over him was strong and as much as he tried to fight it he couldn't.

Richards pulled the IV bag over to Sam's table.

"Soon you'll be mine forever." He struck the IV needle into a vein in Sam's arm and taped it in place.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks to everyone who took the time to review. I really appreciate each of them. This is the last chapter and as usual I hope no one is disappointed with the ending.

**The Collector**

Chapter fifteen

"Damn it Sam fight him! He can't control you! You got to stop him Sam or he's going to kill you!"

Sam used all the strength he could muster but he still couldn't move, the hold the mist had over him was too strong. A single tear ran down his cheek, he had never felt this helpless in his entire life. Not only was he unable to help himself, he also couldn't help his brother and wondered about what was going to happen to him after he died.

Dean couldn't believe he was about to watch Sam die and there was nothing he could do to help him.

"This is going to hurt but not for long. Just relax and it will soon be over with." Richards said to Sam then looked over at Dean. "Soon you will lose a brother, but I will gain a son."

"Fuck you, you son of a bitch!"

"Such language!" Richards scolded Dean. "I was actually thinking of letting you join our little family but you just sealed you fate. My father would never approve of such language at the dinner table….Once your brother is mine…I guess you'll have to die."

Richards turned back to Sam.

"I think I'll call you Bobby. You can be the son I always wanted." Richards made a small slit in Sam's arm and stuck a tube into a vein to drain his blood. "It's time to come home Bobby." Sam's blood began to run into the tube which drained into a large container on the floor. Richard's then released the embalming fluid, the thick liquid drained slowly down another tube toward Sam's arm.

"Sam get up! You got to get up! Damn it Sammy fight him!" Dean screamed as he watched the fluid drain toward his brother's body. He knew it would only take a minute for it to enter his brother's blood stream and once it did it would only take a few seconds to render Sam unconscious and then kill him.

Richards turned toward Dean.

"It'll be over soon."

"You bastard!" Dean glared at Richards then looked over at Sam trying to think of some way to get through to him…then it came to him. "Sammy you got to help me!...I need your help Sam!"

Dean knew if his brother heard him cry out for him he'd do whatever he could to help him, hopefully including breaking free from the paralyzing trance he was in.

_Let him go you bastard_! Sam screamed inside his mind at Richards, he had heard Richards say Dean had to die and had heard his brother call out to him for help, he knew if he couldn't help him his brother would die. The thought of Dean dying sent a rush of adrenaline shooting through his system slowly erasing the confusion and weariness he had felt. A few seconds later he finally managed to roll his head to the side and watched as Richards picked up a knife from the table and walked over to Dean.

"I'll make this quick." He said as he tilted Dean's head back and placed the knife at his throat.

It was all Sam had to see. He could feel his body and mind melt into one as Richards control over him vanished and was replaced by his concern for his brother. In one quick movement he pulled the IV needle out of his arm just as the liquid was about to enter his vein then slid off the table and plunged the needle into the side of Richard's neck. He then yanked out the tube that was draining his blood into the container below.

Richards screamed in both fear and anger as he spun around the knife held high in one hand while the other hand reached for the needle in his neck. Sam backed up but there was nowhere to go, he was trapped between the table and Richards. But just as Richards began to bring the knife down Dean finally managed to break free and grabbed him from behind and threw him against the wall away from Sam. He hit the wall hard and slid to the bottom of it; his body lay still as the fluid from the IV drained into it.

"Sammy you okay?" Dean yelled to his brother as he quickly grabbed the salt gun and fired it at the mist which had begun to swoop down on them. It flew wildly around the room trying to avoid being shot again then flew through the window and disappeared outside. "Sam?"

"Yeah…yeah I'm okay. What the hell's going on?"

As Dean explained to Sam what had happened during the time he was missing he also checked his brother's body for injuries. He had a deep cut on his arm and cuts and bruises over most of his body from his jump from the hospital window but other then that he appeared to be okay.

"Everything seemed so real. The guy I hit with the car….those two men in the motel room….everything."

"The mist got to me too Sam."

"But why weren't you affected?"

"I was at first, but then I remembered what you were going through, all the stuff you were seeing that wasn't there, and I managed to fight it."

"It's good you did or we'd both be dead." Sam looked over at the bodies sitting around the table. "We got to notify the police. These people have families that don't know what happened to them." He walked over and checked the man who had been barely alive when he had been brought there, then shook his head sadly when he realized he was now dead.

"We will…once we're finished." Dean put his hand on his brother's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"The mist?"

"Yeah, we got to destroy it."

"Do you have any idea where it might have gone?"

"More then likely back to its home. Come on…I'll explain on the way."

**Farmhouse**

As they pulled in front of the farmhouse Sam looked over at Dean.

"Shouldn't we be burning his grave instead?"

"His son said he was cremated and the ashes were dumped."

"He could be lying."

"Yeah I know…but the only thing we can do is the next best thing."

"Burn the house." Sam said as he looked over at the house.

"Yep."

"You know if there is a grave and a body does exist burning the house won't solve anything."

"It's the only thing we have Sam. That man we killed was a school teacher and it won't be long before someone notices he's missing and looks for him. Plus that guy that told us about the mist, I was questioning him about the father and son and he's bound to talk once they discover the son's body. Once that body's found and this place goes up in flames we're going to be wanted for murder and arson, we're not going to have time to hang around here looking for a body."

"Well let's just pray there isn't one."

They walked into the farmhouse and after making sure no one was in it Dean lit a match and dropped it on the already gasoline saturated floor, it went up immediately. They stood by their car for a few seconds waiting to hear the agonizing scream from the spirit that usually accompanied a burning but there wasn't any. Dean looked over at Sam knowing what he was thinking.

"It doesn't mean anything Sam. It could still be in there."

"I hate to leave here without being sure."

"We don't have a choice; those flames are going to be seen for miles around." He patted Sam on the back. "We got to go….We got to find a motel out of the county and get you cleaned up; looks like you're going to need some stitches." Dean said nodding toward Sam's bloody arm.

Sam didn't move but stood staring at the burning farmhouse. The old lumber was already collapsing in on itself.

"I'd feel much better if we heard it scream."

"We'll keep an eye on the local papers and see if there are any other disappearances, if there are, we'll come back." He hated to leave as much as Sam did without knowing for sure that the spirit was destroyed but he also knew they didn't have a choice. He was already wanted for murder and Sam would go down right beside him as an accomplice.

Sam knew Dean was right; they had to get out of there before the cops arrived. He gave his brother a nod and got in the car. Dean took one last look back at the house as he opened his door.

"Burn in hell you son of a bitch…." He said softly hoping his words proved true. He then got in the car and sped down the dirt road and onto the highway then headed out of town.

**The woods**

The mist stood still as it watched the only home it ever knew burn, his hatred toward the strangers growing as the flames shot high into the sky. Its home was gone but it still existed. Someday it would seek out the men who tried to destroy it, but for now it would rest. It sunk slowly into the ground where its body lay buried in an unmarked grave.

The End


End file.
